SAN DIEGO — Law enforcement agencies will intensify their policing of San Diego-area roadways starting Friday evening as part of annual efforts to nab intoxicated motorists and crack down on other types of dangerous driving over the extended Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The California Highway Patrol's Independence Day "maximum enforcement period" is slated to begin at 6 p.m. and conclude at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, with all available officers focusing on preventing dangerous driving and traffic accidents, according to CHP public affairs.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department also will mount extra traffic patrols over the period, the regional law enforcement agency announced Friday.
The Highway Patrol's yearly stepped-up traffic-safety operation "helps save lives and protects everyone on our roads by holding drivers accountable for dangerous, unlawful behaviors like speeding and impaired driving," said Barbara Rooney, director of the state Office of Traffic Safety.
"Whether you are traveling near or far, make a plan to go safely before heading to your destination," Rooney said in a statement. "We want you and your loved ones to enjoy a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend."
Over last year's three-day Independence Day weekend, CHP officers arrested nearly 1,000 motorists on suspicion of DUI statewide, about equal to the 2021 total, according to the state traffic-enforcement agency.
A total of 44 people were killed in crashes within the CHP's jurisdiction during the 2022 Fourth of July weekend.
Over the upcoming long weekend, the Highway Patrol will be on extra- high alert for any and all roadway actions that put motorists at risk, CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee advised.
"Reckless driving is a serious concern on California's roadways, and it is the responsibility of CHP to help keep the public safe," Duryee said. "Every year, speed is the leading cause of roadway crashes in our state, resulting in thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths."
In the San Diego area, more than 3,300 people have been jailed so far this year on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the Sheriff's Department, which made roughly 500 of those arrests, the county agency reported.
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